Fw: [ILAssnMicroboardsandatives] notes from Casey's talk

[Guest guest]

Thanks to Teri for providing this excellent summary of our Work Group meeting

this morning

I was at this meeting and this is a very accurate description of the discussion.

Director Casey appears to have good values, great ideas and the will to do

something about our broken system.

Let's all get behind his efforts. He repeatedly said that he cannot do this

alone.

Ellen

Ellen Garber Bronfeld

egskb@...

[iLAssnMicroboardsandatives] notes from Casey's talk

I just heard Casey, the New Director of the Division of

Developmental Disabilities speak and then had lunch with him afterwards. For

those of you that were not able to make it, here are my notes. (So if I got

something wrong that's on me, not him)

really wants to hear from us. He wants self-advocates and their

families to be more involved.

He really believes that people do better in smaller environments when

they are supported correctly.

In PA he started a resource book, helping self-advocates and parents

through training on approaching and working your way through the system.

He hired self-advocates and parents to train other self-advocates and

parents.

He wants to raise provider rates over the next few years & rebuild rate

system

He's a big believer in Respite.

PA avg is 107K per person not 52K. He'd like to see ours raised soon.

He thinks the monitoring quality system is broken and wants us to pay more

attention to how to help providers to give better services.

said if we take a NO REJECTS stance, we need to support service

providers to support people by expanding level of tech assistance, give higher

rate of pay and fix the slow pay.

He wants us all to get more political. We are 98% funded by those

legislators decisions. Call Reps and Senators. Let them know what you want and

need in the system, the schools, waiting lists etc

He does not want to rely so heavily on the group home model but on what is

the best way to serve people.

wants day service programs to to push more towards employment.

I believe he will be able to help us change the system but he needs all of

us to get active. He can NOT do it alone...

Teri L. Steinberg

Chicago Regional Organizer

Illinois Association of Microboards and atives

www.iambc.org

Join us on Facebook and join the IAMC listserv

A life changed for the better is practice based evidence.

The Illinois Association of Microboards and atives is intended for

those who want to explore possibilities of alternative services for themselves

or their loved ones. The project assists persons with disabilities and their

families and friends to create non-profit corporations that allow them to live

self-directed lives through the use of person-centered planning, community

supports and resource management.